Muppets nominated for an Oscar - 17 days to go

With only 17 days to go until the UK debut of The Muppets Movie, we are pleased to say that the Muppets have been nominated for the fifth ever time. The oscar nomination comes for ' Best Song' as a result of the popular 'Man or Muppet' song which has gone down a treat in the USA. We all look forward to hearing it here in the UK on February 10th!

Have a magical day!!

Disney's 20th Anniversary Celebration Train - Concept Art

We are pleased to bring to you, courtesy of DLRP Express, the first concept art for Disney's 20th Anniversary Celebration Train.

Many people were dissapointed to hear that Casey was to be reincarnated again for the 20th anniversary, especially as there was no visual change in the train from the Disney All Star Express to the Disney Dance Express apart from the characters on board.

However, seeing as the Disney Dance Express ended on 9th January 2012, this does indicate that Disney may be altering the appearance of the train. The concept art certainly suggests that the train will be full of colour, just like everything else going on at Disneyland Paris this year, so lets hope poor old Casey will be given a much needed facelift.

It looks like the characters on board will be the Disney classic fab 5, 6, 7, 8 or whatever Disney calls them these days. Although it does look like Mickey will once again be absent from the train once again like he has been for the last few years.

The costumes they are wearing in the concept art is identical to the parade costumes, but we hope that they have separate costumes for each event to avoid them being a bit samey throughout.

Every day we are being constantly amazed by the quality concept art and promotional material that is emerging. It looks like this year is going to be the best year yet.

Have a magical day!!

UK Disney Store Pin Release - 3rd February

We are pleased to bring you a sneak peak of the next UK Disney Pin releases coming on Friday February 3rd on www.disneystore.co.uk. We've fiddled around with some of the page holders on the Disney Store UK website, and we've found an image depicting Stitch and Angel inside a heart. The pin will be LE350 and it is very similar to last year's Bambi Valentine's day pin.

The pin will be available in selected Disney Stores a day later on Saturday 4th February.

Good luck trying to get the Rapunzel Gondala pin which is released at 9am today! We are sure it will be very popular, and will sell out very quickly.

Have a magical day!!

Ingersoll Classic Time Collection

All of  the big kids out there, will be pleased to see the evidence that Disney are listening to the feedback that they are being given by their fans.

In the last few years the amount of adult collectibles and merchandise has fallen dramatically, however since the turn of the new year the website is regularly being updated with the addition of merchandise for the big kids!

The Ingersoll Classic Time collection is a series of 13 retro style Ingersoll watches featuring classic disney characters on the watch face. Many of the leather straps are also Disney themed with some being bright, colourful cartoons and others being a mickey head pattern.

All 13 watches are unisex, but the www.disneystore.co.uk states that they are 'not for large wrists' which will rule some of us out unfortunately.

It's not only Mickey and Minnie appearing on the watches, Goofy and Donald form part of the collection too..

It is quite novel that the character's hands form the watch hands...

The watches come in a novel Mickey head shaped box too!

The watches are £50 each, and are only available online at the moment, however it is rumoured that the Oxford Street store in London may be getting them later in the month. These watches are currently eligible for free delivery! Perfect presents!

Have a magical day!

Disney Theme Park Character of the Month - January

This is going to be a running topic, where each month we will post a few pictures and some information about a particular character from the theme parks. UK Disney Fan believes that one of the best parts about the Disney parks is meeting the characters to pose for photographs and sign autograph books. We enjoy looking at pictures of the characters through the years, so if you have any older photos then please let us know.

This month the chosen character of the month is... Chip

You may be wondering why we have chosen to seperate Chip from his pal Dale. However we find that at the themeparks the chipmunks are often called the wrong name e.g calling chip - dale. But even worse, we have heard people calling Chip... Alvin!

There is one easy way to distinguish Chip from his fellow chipmunks, his black nose...

Also, if you look closely, he has one tooth at the front whereas Dale has two!

Chip has appeared in a variety of costumes over the years.

Recently, his cutest outfits include his Disneyland Paris 'Dance Express' retro Neon coloured jacket and hat..

He always looks spooktacular at Halloween aswell..

So, next time you visit Disneyland Paris or any parks make sure you pay Chip and probably Dale a visit. Chip and Dale are two of the most common characters to find at the parks, purely because of their large fanbase and cute appearance. They normally appear randombly in all areas of all of the parks. At Disneyland Paris they are normally sighted in Main St USA and Fantasyland. If you are desperate to meet Chip or any other character then check with City Hall on the day of your trip because they will be able to give you a better idea of which characters are appearing where on that particular day!

Have a magical day!!





January Disneyland Paris Pin Releases

Disneyland Paris belatedly released their monthly pin poster, and it is dissapointing to say the least. They normally are pretty efficient at getting the poster out on the website, but we are now 17 days in to January before the poster has been available for the first time.

Instead of a pin packed poster, the poster is covered with a message saying 'Happy New Year from the Pin Trading Team' and the only pin released this month is placed in the bottom corner as an after thought.

The monthly pin trading night is at the Disneyland Hotel at Inventions from 6pm on Friday 27th January.

Let's hope this months lack of pins means that we are in for a bumper crop of releases next month.



Have a magical day!

Muppets Mania

Only 25 days until the Muppets Movie finally graces cinema screens around the country. It seems like an age since the film premiered in the US.

We are very impressed by the range of Muppets merchandise which is available from Disney Stores in the UK both in store and online. Having seen some of the merchandise first hand the quality is very good in comparison with other Disney products. The colourful nature of the Muppets makes the whole range look appealing to children and adults a like. The Muppets is one of the few brands that Disney have left which they can effectively market to the Adult market.

The range of merchandise includes mugs, notepads, soft toys, bags and much, much more.

These mugs are available in a whole range of characters, but the Gonzo one looks exceptional. It is a real bargain at only £8.

Here is a look at a couple of other novelty items from the range...

Kermit notepad - £6

Miss Piggy Soft Toy - £18

Kermit Kids T-Shirt - £12



Have you checked out Muppets Mania out on www.disney.co.uk/muppets ? They are currently doing a never ending Mahna Mahna. You can upload your own video to add the phenomahna.

Have a muppetly magical day!!

Disneyland Paris release 20th Anniversary Teaser

Disneyland Paris have released another teasing video on their official YouTube account. The video sees Disney imagineers talk about the upcoming events that will form the 20th Anniversay season which kick off on April 1st 2012. The video is linked below, and features some teasing footage and some lovely concept art, it is worth the watch.

It is delightful that Disneyland Paris are feeding this information to their fans. Normally the details about certain seasons and events are very hush hush until just before hand.

The synopsis hints that the Casey Jr train will return for another year for the 'Disneyland 20th Anniversary train', the castle will be transformed as a canvas for 'Disney Dreams' and the new parade 'Disney Magic on Parade' will feature daily. It also mentions the exclusive vinylmation set which all vinylmation collectors are excitedly anticipating!

I have spoke to several people about this promotional video, and they are all now inspired to book their holiday to Disneyland Paris this year, are you?

Have a magical day!!

Animation Vinylmation Released Tomorrow in UK

Due to the withdrawal of the Furry Friends series from Disney Stores worlwide there has been much hysteria on ebay, facebook and twitter with collectors seeking to finish their own collections in case of the series not being released again in future.

In order to compensate for the unavailabiliy of Furry Friends, Disney Store UK are bringing forward the release date of the Animation 2 series in order to fill the gap left by everybody's favourite Disney dogs and cats. The series was already scheduled to be released in America tomorrow (Friday 13th January), so this news will please Vinylmation collectors in the UK. The UK collectors often feel overshadowed by their US counterparts when it comes to new releases and choice.

Earlier today, this banner temporarily replaced the Furry Friends banner at the top of the www.disneystore.co.uk vinylmation page. However, the Furry Friends banner is now back for the moment.

This series follows on from the successful Animation series 1 which was released last year. There are 11 revealed designs in the series and 1 mystery chaser. The series will be sold at £8 per figure, and they will be concealed in mystery blind boxes until they are opened. Which one will you get?

The series features:

-Jose
-Tigger
-Dopey
-Kim Possible
-Chicken Little
-Donald
-Flower
-Tinkerbell
-John Henry
-Baloo
-Sebastian
-Headless Horseman Mystery Chaser (Highlight to Reveal)



The choice of characters being represented in the series has been widely criticised. The argument is that many series have already featured Donald and Tinkerbell. The choice of Kim Possible and John Henry has gone against the idea that this series was going to represent characters from the 50 Disney animated classics.

Finally, Disney Store must be praised for their quick decision making and allowing UK vinylmation collectors to have access to a new series on the same day as they are released in the US.

Have a magical day!!

Furry Friends sent to the pound!

The sight of freshly opened trays of Furry Friends vinylmation occupied shelves in Disney Stores across the country on Monday. Although it does appear that the London Disney Stores released the series on Saturday in order to capitalise on potential sales over the busy weekend period.

Instead of a few Have a Laugh or Urban 5 vinyls being crammed on to the ends of displays with PEZ dispensers or  being thrown in to a transparent tube by the till, there were boxes of Furry Friends prominently displayed in stores which clearly drew attention to the vinylmation concept and this series in particular.

The Disney marketing department really hit bullseye with the concept of this series, and the style of the tray and boxes, it certainly generated interest amongst cast member and guests alike. It is just a shame that when the marketing department at Disney exceeded expectations, the operations department failed miserably.

I am saddened to say that Furry Friends have now been recalled in the USA, UK and France. There are widespread reports of poor quality issues, with figures appearing to be carelessly painted, and defects also including chipped hands and ears.

Disney said that they were recalling the series, to prove that they cared about vinylmation collectors.

The whole statement read:

Dear Disney Store Guests:

It is our commitment to offer high-quality merchandise and unfortunately the application of the Furry Friends Vinylmation artwork did not meet our standards. As such, we are no longer selling the product.

We have not yet decided whether or not the collection will be re-released in the future, but we are offering a full refund to any Guest who is dissatisfied with his or her Furry Friends Vinylmation purchase. If you would like to return your Furry Friends Vinylmation figure(s), please return the merchandise to the nearest Disney Store or via DisneyStore.com and we will happily provide a refund for the full amount (or we will exchange your Furry Friends figurine for a Vinylmation figurine from any other series, if available).

Disney Store is still committed to supporting ASPCA’s work and will donate $1 for each Furry Friend Vinylmation produced, for a magical donation of $60,000. We apologize to our Guests for any inconvenience.

The figures can be taken back to stores for a full refund or exchanged for another vinylmation figure from another series. However, many people are holding on to the figures after it emerged that Disney may not re-release the series, and therefore people are frantically trying to complete their set in case of the unthinkable happening.

It is such a shame that this series which promised so much for the UK vinylmation cause is being discontinued. However, we must remember that we can look forward to the release of Animation 2 in the UK on 27th January 2012.

Did you manage to get any of the Furry Friends? What was the quality like on your figures?

Have a magical day!!

Free Delivery Boundary Changed

Some good news for UK Disney Fans who like to bemoan the lower limit for free delivery in the US. The Disney Store UK website is now promising FREE DELIVERY on all orders over £50 instead of the usual £75. The offer is automatically applied at the checkout!
Nobody is sure how long this is going to last, but we heard a rumour it will be ending at the end of February so treat yourself and stock up on some Disney goodies now!

UK Vinylmation - Furry Friends are coming!

Some fantastic news emerged concerning the #saveukvinylmation campaign today.

Disney announced that Furry Friends, the adorable 3'' vinylmation series comprising of 11 revealed designs and 1 mystery chaser design are coming to UK Disney Stores on 9th January 2012.

The revealed designs include:

-Meeko
-Percy
-Francis
-Max
-Trusty
-Patch
-Pluto
-Marie
-Oliver
-Pegasus
-Tramp
-Cheshire Cat  ( Chaser - highlight to reveal)

The collectible figures will retail at £8 each, with £1 per vinylmation sold going to Disney's official charity partner, Great Ormond Street.

As per usual, the figures will be concealed in mystery blind boxes, with each Disney Store guest having no idea which figure they will be buying until they open it.

An unusual twist on this series is the unique box design, which reflect a cardboard pet carrier as opposed to the usual standard box design.

This series is sure to appeal to non vinylmation collectors as well because of the adorable boxes, trays and artwork that appear externally. Let's hope this series is the injection that Vinylmation need to help them cement a permanent position on UK Disney store shelves.

Have a magical day!

UK Disney Fan

Disney Pin Release - 20th January 2012

Today was another Disney pin release day. Today the LE350 Maleficent pin, and Online Exclusive LE125 Little John Puppet Show pin were released online at www.disneystore.co.uk.

The new coming soon image was also released.

I'm sure this one will be popular! It is also nice to see that Disney are actually aknowledging the month of Rapunzel with this pin. It would be nice to see a pin for each of the princesses during their respective months throughout 2012! It is the first time a pin has been released featuring Rapunzel and Flynn in the gondola, I am very pleased to see it being released here in the UK.

The pin is Limited Edition (LE) OF 350. The pin will be released at www.disneystore.co.uk on Friday 20th January 2012 and in the selected stores on Saturday 21st January 2012.

Have a magical day!

An enchanting year celebrating Disney Princess

Disney Store have announced that this year they will be celebrating all 10 of the Disney Princesses with special events in store each month marking these special occasions. In store events will include fancy dress, story telling and competitions.

The events kick off next month with the newest adition to the Princess franchise, Rapunzel.

Disney will also be releasing a special bracelet with charms resembling each princess over the year.

Here is the official synopsis:

Each Princess will have her own month of fun activities in your local store.

Every little princess can take part in some truly regal in-store activities, with magical storytelling as well as designing beautiful Princess dresses.
In addition to our beautiful Princess products, we will have an exclusive royal charm bracelet with a new set of Princess charms to collect every month. Available to purchase in-store and online.

To find out more visit http://www.disney.co.uk/disneystore/princess/

Have a Magical day!!

Happy New Year - Disneyland Paris 'Dreams'

Disneyland Paris released a New Year greeting on their official YouTube account.

The video features Mickey Mouse by Sleeping Beauty's Castle with the magical fountains that we believe will feature in 'Dreams' from 1st April 2012.

The video is very short, but rather uplifting. Does the presence of Mickey suggest he will host the show rather than Peter Pan as originally rumoured?

Have a magical day!!

Welcome to UK Disney Fan!

First of all, a very Happy New Year to you all!

With a new year comes a new idea..

This blog is being set up as a resource for Disney fans throughout the UK and beyond in order to keep up to date with the latest news regards Disney movies, merchandise, Disney Theme Parks, and much, much more.

Being a Disney fan in the UK can be very difficult at times. There often appears to be a lack of information regards upcoming events and merchandise despite the market demanding more knowledge from Disney. Pin trading and Vinylmation collecting are growing hobbies in the UK and we hope to obtain exlusive information about new and upcoming releases. Hopefully this resource will enable UK Disney Fans and collectors to quickly find the information they need.

Our nearest Disney theme park from the UK is Disneyland Resort Paris, therefore we will try and include as many regular updates about this particular theme park as possible because we feel it is the most likely destination for UK Disney Fans. Saying that, we will cover all of the news and rumours from the other parks which occupy all corners of the globe.

This blog is in no way associated with the Walt Disney company, and the views here do not necessarily reflect those of the Walt Disney company.

If you have any suggestions for the blog, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Have a magical day!

UK Disney Fan